This invention relates to toys and, more particularly, to toy vehicle accelerators.
A toy vehicle accelerator is a device used for imparting a high initial velocity to an unpowered toy vehicle so that the vehicle may be raced or run through some form of toy track layout. In general, such accelerators impart velocity to a toy vehicle by first gripping the vehicle, next accelerating while holding the vehicle, and finally releasing the vehicle so that it continues with a speed which is initially equal to that of the accelerator. Examples of such toy vehicle accelerators known to the prior art are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,641,704, 3,777,391, and 3,877,169.
Many such accelerators function much like slingshots. And like slingshots most toy vehicle accelerators may be used to accelerate, in addition to toy vehicles, various objects which may be dangerous to the operator or bystanders. For example, pencils and other pointed objects may be accelerated to substantial velocities by many such accelerators.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a new and improved toy vehicle accelerator.
It is another object of this invention to provide a toy vehicle accelerator which is difficult to use for projecting anything other than the vehicles especially designed for use with the accelerator.